Candidates for Bluffton’s County Council District 7 stand far apart on November’s referendums and their attitudes toward development.

Cynthia Bensch carries the official Republican Party seal in a district mostly bound by Buck Island Road to the east and S.C. 170 to the west. But Dan Duryea, who identifies with the party but was bounced from the primary over paperwork, is challenging her as a petition candidate.

Bensch is a former S.C. Election Commissioner who spent decades in real estate and development with her homebuilder husband. She opposes both the $25 million bond referendum for land preservation and the measure to change the county’s government to council-manager, which would eliminate elections for auditor and treasurer, leaving those jobs for appointment by County Administrator Gary Kubic.

Land preservation

Elected officials have lauded the environmental and economic effects of past land preservation bonds, the most recent of which authorized $50 million by a 3-to-1 vote and helped the county reach about 20,400 acres of conserved space.

With some residents paying fines because they can’t pay amenity fees in their communities and the state of the market already discouraging excessive development, now isn’t the time for more taxpayer-funded debt, Bensch argues.

“I just don’t think it’s fair right now to the taxpayers to burden them,” she said.

“I’m concerned that we’ve left out the most vital thing we could do for Bluffton, which is water and sewer,” she said.

But that responsibility lies with the town of Bluffton, not County Council, Duryea says. He argues the value of further preservation outweighs the cost — an additional $38 a year for an owner-occupied home valued at $250,000 — and current generations owe it to those to come.

“We as a society have a responsibility to preserve these special places within our communities for future generations to benefit from the knowledge base of what occurred in these areas, to understand why they’re suggested to be preserved,” he said.

Council-manager referendum

Supporters of the referendum placing appointment authority for treasurer and auditor with the county administrator point to the missing $210,000 under former treasurer Joy Logan’s watch as an example of failure in accountability. Detractors argue that accountability lies with the voters.

“I think that new alternative gives too much opportunity for less transparency and oversight,” Bensch said. “I think the more checks and balances, the better.”

Duryea said he agreed with Bensch at first, but now argues the county’s top executive could better vet candidates working directly under him.

“As in any other formal corporate entity, the chief executive officer should have the ability to prequalify those positions — determine the specific skill sets, certifications and professional background — and have the right, since they have full responsibility over those positions, to hire and fire,” he said.

County development

Bensch argues her career in development gives her a unique perspective on building an economy driven largely by tourism and high-end homes.

“You understand what ordinances help you maintain what you need to continue growing, and yet you have to balance that with the working class,” she said.

She said she believes an anti-developer climate hangs in the air today and hurts the county’s prospects.

“The idea of developers has almost been like an ugly word,” she said. “You’re anti-environmentally friendly. It’s like the two are enemies, and they’re not.”

Duryea, a 14-year Belfair employee who’s run facilities as well as finances, said he divides development into commercial and residential, which he welcomes more openly.

“I think that commercial development, while it creates some jobs, there are expenses through tax loopholes from municipalities, town and counties to these big box stores,” he said. “On a per-job basis, that’s very expensive.”

He’s adamantly opposed to the Bluffton Parkway 5B realignment, which he said he considers a costly and unnecessary mistake driven by the interests of developer John Reed.

Supporters have argued the realignment, which straightens the parkway from Buckwalter to Buck Island, opens another development center and strengthens hurricane evacuation routes.

“If you were to tell me the town of Bluffton, the developer and county share the costs equally, and in realignment we’ll create light manufacturing and more CareCore-type tech jobs that would put people to work, I might be able to swallow that,” he said.

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Building has not come to a halt because builders who are hiring illegal labor are thriving right now as well as Electric companies, Painters ect...If you want to do something to boost your election process Duryea, look into the "Employment Verification Ordinance" we already have in place and promise to continue those audits on I9's, especially in the Building business and bring those jobs back to people who have been in business for years. There are businesses that are coming here from surrounding states who do not have the proper business license, pay proper taxes or even pay for workmans compensation. How is this giving back revenue into South Carolina's coffers?

I know of an Electric Company owner on St Helena who brags about how he could pay cash for his daughters new car. "Because I have a bunch of mexicans working for me, I have 30 homes or more now."

During Bensch's term, she has not mentioned anything about a problem we have in Beaufort County with Business hiring illegals and now I know why..Its time for "change" on the Beaufort County Council Board.

As a condidate for District 7, I adamently support e-verify.
I retired from construction and development years ago, but we never hired illegal workers, like your friend.
I want jobs for local, legal citizens. My Italian grandparents waited seven years to become citizens and it was the proudest day of their lives. Being an American is a priviledge, not a political issue.
My professional background enables me to understand the policies the County needs to change to enable businesses to thrive and promote more high income jobs in our community, so can we be assured we will not need to increase taxes. Revenue from Tourism is in the protection of our ocean, rivers and tribituaries, that is what makes Southern Beaufort County so magnificent, inviting, entertaining and relaxing.
I was born in South Carolina, all of my family lives here and I want my grandchildren to enjoy pristine waterways like I did.
Water quality is controlled by construction of city water & sewer infrastructure, and removal of obsolete septic systems. County Council members must realize families are losing their homes because people are losing their jobs. We are in a crisis and citizens need the County to help in every way possible to enable them to support their families.

The "stop growth" mentality is why we have the problems we are facing. People who have no experience creating good jobs and who do not understand how to produce the highest standards for community growth, should not be trying to lead from behind. We must pro-actively plan for growth, and that takes the talent of a person with a history of a high-quality development. I look forward to serving the people in Bluffton and Beaufort County.
Cynthia Bensch

We have had septic systems for years and they have worked fine as long as they are maintained correctly and are not in congested areas. Odd that our waterways were pristine before all the development started in the '60s. Point is it is development itself that leads to contamination.

Rather than spending megabucks on sewer infrastructure where it may not be needed, why not triage and set priorities. Areas that have become congested over the years may be a legitimate priority. But septic tanks in rural or less congested areas should be checked by the city/county to make sure they are functioning properly. Homeowners pay for septic systems themselves and do not require tax payer dollars for infrastructure.

I cringe when you stated, " County Council members must realize families are losing their homes because people are losing their jobs. We are in a crisis and citizens need the County to help in every way possible to enable them to support their families." Maybe more explanation is needed, but it sounds like you favor either social assistance on the county level.

I also wonder how you can favor development for jobs and criticize the stop growth or preservationists and still admire the pristine waters and scenic natural open areas. A park stuck in the middle of a conglomeration of buildings is not the same as woodlands and scenic byways. What is needed is a compromise of both.

I support the bond for preservation. We have already seen landowners denied a change in zoning as along 278. Those land owners are not allowed to develop their land because many voters want the scenic areas to remain and not be cluttered with buildings, stores and parking lots. So they are stuck with land that they pay taxes on, but are in a sense "donating" their land for scenery. If citizens want to keep scenic open places, let them help buy it and preserve it.

Ditto that heron and GA.
Although I will give Cynthia the benefit of the doubt and chalk up the spelling error as a typo (she's obviously an educated person and well versed) but I simply don't agree with much of her platform, especially on growth.
Duryea gets my vote.

Cynthia, E-verify has several loop holes which makes it unreliable. Illegals are known to use thier childrens and siblings social security numbers and "deferred action" procedures are finding this out, finally. Another words E-Verify only verifies the number is legit not the age of the person holding it. "Yes Hose, you were born yesterday."

Now take your rhetoric about how you know people are losing their homes because they are losing their jobs to the board you are on, and demand they continue with "The Workers Verification Program" which will help bring jobs back to U.S citizens and their families.

I too had a building business, why did you fold yours? I folded mine because I could not compete with businesses legit and otherwise that were underbidding jobs by the thousands because they were employing illegal aliens "under the table" (cash) meaning not paying proper taxes, unemployment or workmans compensation. Where I paid 75,000 a year to the state and part of that went to the Town Of Bluffton as well, because you have to have a business license and comply with Town and State rules to operate a business.

As far as taxes, my taxes have been raised twice in the last 5 years, because of the influx of illegal aliens children in our schools. Now my electricity bill is going up because of the influx of illegal aliens using electricity ( have you noticed?)

I'm here to tell you and if you do not believe me just invite Sherrif P. Tanner and Captain Bukoffsky (BO) of 287g to your board meeting and allow them to tell you what is happening in our state with the influx of illegal aliens and businesses hiring them and what their day as well as their officers day is like everyday.

I hear you Cynthia, now I want hear you on television during your meetings, My husband and I watch them very closely. You seem to care about what happens in our community now prove it, STOP THE BLEEDING.

I am not on any board yet, I am a CANDIDATE for County Council. I did not know any loopholes for e-verify, when I am on Council I will inform auditors of your info, thank you.
We are "retired" builders, of course it wouldn't matter because their are no jobs for builders anyway.
To others, I believe you were already voting for Mr. Duryea.

Here's an example of not informing the voters of all the facts.
Years ago the State offered to pay for an alternate highway on 278, because there were so many accidents, City planners appeased the voters and said "we will stop growth". Of course they did not, and the State eventually mandated an alternate route. It's called the Cross Island Expressway, on which we all have to pay a toll.
We need leadership that understands how to maintain the highest standards for development. There are hard choices to be made, but if you think having the taxpayers buy land at this point in time is a good idea, I hope you can afford the taxes.
There is no growth in Beaufort County. Watch the board you are referring to.

Electric rates are going up in many places because of new EPA rules since Obama was elected. The most affected are the older plants that used coal. We have many closing in SC and the nearest is in Canady's, about 50 miles north. Some can be converted to natural gas, which has become a more available and cheaper because of the increase in fracking. But even those have the new carbon rules that are raising production costs.

The ideal would be nuclear, but even there it takes more than 10 years at minimum to get the fed and state permits and they have opposition groups screaming.

The increase in electric prices is also affecting many industries that rely on electricity and the products they manufacture is also rising.

I wish Beaufort County County Council had authority over using our natural resources, instead of Congress. I believe we should use every safe and clean source of energy we have and be independent of other Countries, and create jobs in America that will reduce the cost of fuel for cars and heating homes. I will support and help create jobs for people in Beaufort County.

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